As early as 1710 the iron industry in English complained of increasing competition from the American colonies. The American iron industry developed rapidly from that date until, by 1750, numerous furnaces, forges, and mills were operating in New England, the middle colonies, and Virginia. When large quantities of pig iron from the American colonies first entered England in 1735, the product proved to be of such excellent quality that English ironmakers became involved in a bitter argument over the future of the colonial iron industry. The English iron smelters, who changed native English iron ore into pig iron, insisted that American pig iron be kept out of England by means of high import taxes and, in fact. that the whole colonial iron industry be suppressed. In agreement with the iron smelters were owners of English mines and even forests, whose wood was used to fuel the furnaces which smelted the iron ore.
On the other side of the issue were the English iron manufacturers who desired more cheap pig iron to make into nails, tools, and other iron wares. The iron manufacturers therefore encouraged the production of pig iron in the American colonies. They wanted it to enter England tax free, but, at the same time, demanded that the colonists be prevented from working their crude iron into finished products. In addition to the iron manufacturers, English merchant shipowners were in favor of receiving American pig iron, for they looked forward to transporting the crude iron from America to England and the products from England to the colonies. The English wool industry supported the iron manufacturers, also, in the belief that the Americans would use the money received for shipments of crude iron to buy cloth made in England, thus discouraging the growth of wool manufacturing in America.
Questions: (注意：答题要尽量简短，超过10个单词要扣分，每条横线限写一个英语单词，标点符号不占格) 71. English iron smelters and English iron manufacturers were both opposed to ____ . 72. The passage implies that American pig iron was ____. 73. The passage suggests that the American wool industry would have developed rapidly if ____. 74. What is the main topic of this passage? ____. 75. It was believed that the colonists would use profits from the sale of their pig iron to ____.
短文大意： 早在1710年英国的制铁业已感受到来自美国殖民地的强烈挑战，因为这个时期的美国制铁业正在迅速发展。由于美国的生铁物美价廉，进入英国市场之后引起了英国冶铁者对殖民地冶铁工业的前途的争论。英国的冶铁者，把本国的矿石炼成生铁，坚持要对美国生铁征高额关税以便将其拒之国门之外，用来压制殖民地的冶铁业。但是英国的铁器制造厂家则希望得到更便宜的生铁，以便制造钉子、工具及其他用品。所以这些人则鼓励殖民地多生产生铁，希望从美国进口免税生铁。他们还要求禁止美国殖民地人民把生铁制成成品。另外，英国的商人也喜欢从美国进口生铁到英国，再将制成的铁器运送到美国去。英国的毛纺工业也支持这一举措，因为他们相信美国人会利用运输生铁所挣来的钱买英国的布料，从而遏止美国的毛纺业的发展。 71. 【参考答案】selling English wool to the colonists 【解题技巧】通过了解上下文来确定答案。【详细解答】从短文中可以知道，英国的炼铁者反对的是从美国进口生铁，以便使自己生产的生铁制成铁器运往美国，赚取利润。而铁器制造厂家则希望从美国免税进口生铁，其目的也是为了利润。虽然两者在生铁进口方面所持态度完全相反，但有一点是共同的——从生铁的进出口谋取利润，他们都不希望其它行业取代他们的地位和空间，故他们都反对卖给殖民地羊毛。如果把答案写成：high import taxes on American pig iron(反对美国生铁征收高额税金)，这是冶铁者所反对的，而炼铁者则是赞成的。故不符题意要求。 72. 【参考答案】low in cost and high in quality 【解题技巧】应尽量利用原文中现有的词。【详细解答】有些问题在原文中可以直接找到，有些问题则需要从全文中总结和概括出来。本题的答案就比较直观，因为这在文章的第一段中就有这样的词语：excellent quality。冶铁者为什么要买进口的生铁呢？主要是因它便宜。这样不难发现：美国的生铁既便宜质量又好。 73. 【参考答案】high import taxes had been placed on American pig iron 【解题技巧】根据上下文间接推理找出答案，从否定中找肯定。【详细解答】这个答案隐藏在文章的最后一句话里：The English wool industry supported the iron manufacturers,also,in the belief that the Americans would use the money received for shipments of crude iron to buy cloth made in England,thus discouraging the growth of wool manufacturing in America.(英国的毛纺工业也支持冶铁厂家，认为美国人会从运输生铁所赚的钱来买英国的布料，从而遏制美国的毛纺业)。题目要求的是：如果对美国生铁征收高额关税，美国的毛纺业就会得到发展，这是个虚拟语气的句子，意思是实际上没有对美国的生铁进行高额征税。反过来讲，如果高额征了税，就不能够遏制住美国的毛纺业了，也就是说美国的毛纺业就会发展起来了。 74. 【参考答案】growth of shipping between England and America 【解题技巧】把握全文，总结概括，由表及里，找出内容含义。【详细解答】从文章内容上看，无论从美国进口生铁也好，还是出口到美国的铁器制品也好，都需要来来往往的运输，没有运输，就没有英美之间的交流和贸易。所以，这篇短文的主题不是关于英国的冶铁者的发展历史，也不是英国冶铁者同商人之间的矛盾，更不是关于是否征高额关税之争，而是英美之间的外贸往来的发展情况。 75. 【参考答案】pay the cost of high import taxes 【解题技巧】利用反证进行解题。【详细解答】如果英国对从美国进口的生铁征收高税，那么美国人肯定会对从英国进口的货物，如铁器、毛料等征收高额关税，那么殖民地的居民就不得不从生铁中所获的利润去偿付进口货物的高额税金。
products from England to the colonies. The English wool industry supported the iron manufacturers, also, in the belief that the Americans would use the money received for shipments of crude iron to buy cloth made in England, thus discouraging the growth of wool manufacturing in America.
